Video reproducing apparatus, method, and computer readable medium

Abstract

There is provided with a video reproducing apparatus, including: an access unit configured to access a storage medium holding a plurality of video scenes; an external device search unit configured to search for an external device which can communicate; a scene selecting unit configured to select a video scene from the storage medium based on information of the external device found by the external device search unit; and a video reproducing unit configured to read the selected video scene from the storage medium using the access unit and reproduce the video scene.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A video reproducing apparatus, comprising:
 an access unit configured to access a storage medium holding a primary video scene and an extended video scene to be reproduced instead of the primary video scene, wherein the primary video scene is associated with the extended video scene; 
 an external device search unit configured to search for an external device which can communicate with the video reproducing apparatus and to autonomously collect, without a user instruction, a condition of the external device required for the external device to reproduce the extended video scene found by searching, from the external device; 
 a scene selecting unit configured to (i) select the primary video scene when the condition of the external device required for the external device to reproduce the extended video scene found by the searching does not meet a predetermined condition and to (ii) select the extended video scene associated with the primary video scene when the condition of the external device required for the external device to reproduce the extended video scene meets the predetermined condition; and 
 a video reproducing unit configured to read the primary video scene or the extended video scene selected by the scene selecting unit from the storage medium via the access unit and to reproduce the primary video scene or the extended video scene. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition is a condition based on the information of the external device. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a device control unit configured to transmit a control command prepared in advance correspondingly to the selected primary video scene or the selected extended video scene to the external device. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a user event detection unit configured to detect a user event input from a user;
 wherein the storage medium stores event video scenes; 
 the scene selecting unit selects one of the event video scenes based on a content of the user event and the primary video scene or the extended video scene being reproduced; and 
 wherein the video reproducing unit switches the primary video scene or the extended video scene being reproduced to the event video scene selected by the scene selecting unit. 
 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the scene selecting unit selects the event video scene by using event information previously given with respect to the primary video scene or the extended video scene being reproduced wherein the event information associates contents of a user event with event video scenes. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an external device event detector configured to detect an event that has occurred in the external device; 
 wherein 
 the storage medium stores event video scenes; 
 the scene selecting unit selects one of the event video scenes based on a content of the detected event and the primary video scene or the extended video scene being reproduced; and 
 wherein the video reproducing unit switches the primary video scene or the extended video scene being reproduced to the event video scene selected by the scene selecting unit. 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the scene selecting unit selects the event video scene by using event information previously given with respect to the primary video scene or the extended video scene being reproduced, wherein the event information associates contents of an event with event video scenes. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the information concerning the external device includes information for identifying the external device. 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the information for identifying the external device includes identification information of the external device or a type information of the external device. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the information concerning the external device further includes property information of the external device. 
 
     
     
       11. A video reproducing method, comprising:
 searching for an external device which can communicate with a video reproducing apparatus; 
 autonomously collecting, without a user instruction, a condition of the external device required for the external device to reproduce an extended video scene found by the searching, from the external device; 
 accessing a storage medium holding a primary video scene and the extended video scene to be reproduced instead of the primary video scene, wherein the primary video scene is associated with the extended video scene; 
 (i) selecting the primary video scene when the condition of the external device required for the external device to reproduce the extended video scene found by the searching does not meet a predetermined condition and (ii) selecting the extended video scene associated with the primary video scene when the condition of the external device required for the external device to reproduce the extended video scene meets the predetermined condition; and 
 reading the selected primary video scene or the selected extended video scene from the storage medium and reproducing the primary video scene or the extended video scene in the video reproducing apparatus. 
 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the predetermined condition is a condition based on the information of the external device. 
 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising transmitting a control command prepared in advance correspondingly to the selected primary video scene or the selected extended video scene to the external device. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising detecting a user event input from a user;
 wherein 
 the storage medium stores event video scenes; 
 the selecting includes selecting one of the event video scenes based on a content of the user event and the primary video scene or the extended video scene being reproduced; and 
 wherein the reproducing includes switching the primary video scene or the extended video scene being reproduced to the event video scene. 
 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the selecting includes selecting the event video scene by using event information previously given with respect to the primary video scene or the extended video scene, wherein the event information associates contents of a user event with event video scenes. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 detecting an event that has occurred in the external device, 
 wherein 
 the storage medium stores event video scenes, 
 the selecting includes selecting one of the event video scenes based on a content of the detected event and the primary video scene or the extended video scene being reproduced; and 
 wherein the reproducing includes switching the primary video scene or the extended video scene being reproduced to the event video scene. 
 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the selecting includes selecting the event video scene by using event information previously given with respect to the primary video scene or the extended video scene being reproduced, wherein the event information associates contents of an event with event video scenes. 
     
     
       18. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to execute instructions to perform:
 searching for an external device which can communicate with the computer; 
 autonomously collecting, without a user instruction, a condition of the external device required for the external device to reproduce an extended video scene found by the searching, from the external device; 
 accessing a storage medium holding a primary video scene and the extended video scene to be reproduced instead of the primary video scene wherein the primary video scene is associated with the extended video scene; 
 selecting the primary video scene when the condition of the external device required for the external device to reproduce the extended video scene found by the searching does not meet a predetermined condition and (ii) selecting the extended video scene associated with the primary video scene when the condition of the external device required for the external device to reproduce the extended video scene meets the predetermined condition; and 
 reading the selected primary video scene or the selected extended video scene from the storage medium and reproducing the primary video scene or the extended video scene.